Yesterday I had the incredible experience of visiting a Cacao farm in St. Thomas, Jamaica called Bachelor’s Hall Estate. Desmond, the farmer, sells his beans to chocolatiers in the US, Canada and the UK who’ve won awards for bars made with his beans.
Desmond has a BIG heart and he knows how to treat the earth well. He’s fought for his land and he continues to be a warrior of love for the earth and the Cacao. Never using chemicals to grow the Cacao, he is a true steward of the land. He honors the value of fertile, rich soil and works for the health of the people.
What a beautiful experience to be in the presence of the Cacao trees! I explored the groves of Cacao trees and found green, yellow and purple Cacao pods. We ate some fresh beans straight out of the pod, still encased in the white fleshly sweet and sour husk. The fresh beans are bright and purple inside, and much chewier than the hard beans and nibs that many of us are more familiar with.
Together we’re working to enliven a healthy Jamaican Cacao international market, making sure the farmers here get paid for their work because Jamaican Cacao is some of the best in the world!
